The Darkest of Fairy Tales
by imperial violets
Summary: A darker telling of Snow White and The Huntsman. The story with Queen Ravenna is insignificant to what the pair needs to battle in this one. Pure Evil is after her heart and will destroy her world and the one she's fallen for just to get it. OOC/AU. (This story has been removed as it is being rewritten as an original)


Chapter 1: The Spring

Snow White lived a quiet existence with her grandmother in the heart of The Green Forest. It was safe for her there. Away from all the threat that skirted around the forest's walls. Away from any travelers, for they would not venture so deep into the forest. Away from danger, pain and hopelessness that The Great Realm presently existed in.

Although Snow was born outside the forest walls, she was happy with her solitude within them. From her education she knew that there wasn't a whole deal of good outside the forest. The horrible battles she read in the history books her grandmother gave her, was not only enough to fear men, but avoid them altogether. How they slaughtered each other to stake claim to small pieces of land was barbaric in Snow's eyes.

Snow was eager to finish with her morning chores so she could go outside. The air indoors was already getting uncomfortable and it would get hotter when her grandmother started baking her bread.

"My dear, please do not bring back a half eaten basket of strawberries when you get home. It wouldn't be enough to make one pot of preserves!" her grandmother exclaimed as she kneaded dough at the kitchen table.

"I'll try Grandmother", Snow replied smiling sweetly and told herself to remember to pick some blueberries too. She knew in advance there wouldn't be enough strawberries.

Snow scurried about the little cottage, straightening out the last few things before her grandmother would let her go.

"And try not to fall asleep at the spring again, I would like you home before dark," said her grandmother.

"I'll try grandmother," they both said in unison let out a laugh.

Snow grabbed her basket, "I'm sorry grandmother that I cannot promise you," she explained, "but I cannot resist the wild strawberries and napping in the sun after a good swim."

"Fair enough, child, so long as you promise to stay safe!"

"That I can do, Grandmother, " Snow called out as she dashed out the door.

She didn't hear her grandmother plead to the gods to keep her safe that day.

As Snow's grandmother watched her go off into the forest, she knew very well that the safety of the forest was only temporary. She had managed to keep Snow safe for the last eighteen years, but The Serpent's Realm and its darkness has been closing in on them for the same amount of time. Time was running out, and soon The Serpent's Realm would completely take over. Fortunately, she truly believed that under all of Snow's innocence, there was a clever and industrious girl that would be able to survive any future dangers.

Snow knew the woods well and wandered them most days after her chores. She never met another soul on her small excursions, nor did she believe she would ever come across one. She was so naïve she never even considered what would happen if she would come across another person.

After some time of walking, Snow came to a clearing in the forest. This was the place where The Green Forest truly got its name. Everything was covered in vibrant shades of green. Even the tree trunks were heavily covered in moss. All the life in the clearing was fed by a large spring that was in the center of the clearing. It had the coolest and freshest water Snow ever tasted.

The hike to the spring made her realize how warm it was outside that day. She quickly went to her spot behind a cluster of boulders on the other side of the spring and dropped her empty basket. She took her dress off, letting it pool onto a bed of moss that she would later lay down on after her swim.

Not wasting another moment, Snow climbed to the top of the largest boulder and dived right into the clear and refreshing water.

The coolness instantly revitalized her. She soon surfaced, relaxed herself on the water and simply floated there on her back. With a small smile that played on her lips, she held her eyes up at the branches canopying the spring and watched the birds sing their songs as they frolicked from branch to branch.

When she finally begun to shiver, she swam back to shore and laid herself out on her bed of moss behind the boulders. As much as she loved the cool water, she enjoyed it when the sun dried her skin and undergarments. She felt each droplet evaporate from her skin with a light tickle and the warmth of the sun soon restored the warmth to her cool skin.

Every summer day passed like this for Snow… carefree and simple. This was her heaven on earth. She let out a small sigh of content and watched the sun trickle through the leaves and felt the light dance over her face. It soon lulled her to sleep.

Not long after, a loud splash stirred her from her sleep. It was uncommon to her ears, but she was too relaxed to pay it anymore heed. Perhaps it was a raccoon, she thought. But it was followed by another sound, which caught her attention. That sound was unlike any sound she heard before. No animal in The Green Forest would make a noise like that.

She slowly and quietly got up to see what was there. Unable to see from where she was, Snow crept along the tree line of the clearing, eventually nearing the other side of the spring. She crouched low to the ground; her view of the spring was blocked by some shrubbery and was unable to see what was there. But her nose found a strong musky odor drifting towards her. When Snow followed the smell, she found clothes laid out over a fallen tree.

She had never seen clothes so dirty and so large before. The shirt was roughly made from a poorly weaved cotton, and what she believed were trousers, were made from a thick wool. Surely it was too hot for any creature to wear something that warm on such a day like this, she thought.

Suddenly it dawned on her that the clothes could belong to a giant, but she knew that the giants didn't venture into the forest for fear of crushing it. The giants stayed in the plains. And surely, if it were a giant, it would have made a louder splash.

She heard the being bathe in her spring and started to inch a little closer to it. Just then, something caught her eye under a leather jerkin. Snow lifted the brown leather and gasped loudly as she uncovered an axe and a large knife.

Snow's mind reeled. Those were tools of destruction. She had seen those weapons in the books she had read. They were used to kill.

"Who goes there?" A booming voice sounded from the spring.

It was only then Snow realized that her gasp was a little too loud and it had hinted to the other party that she was there.

Uncertain as to what to do next, Snow stood up, startled from her hiding place and revealed herself. Her eyes swept over the spring and soon locked hers with the eyes that belonged to the voice.

It was a man.

She knew that even though she had never seen one in the flesh.

Instantly a wave of fear poured over her. She wanted to run from the man, afraid of what he may do, but her curiosity had her frozen in her place.

"You know it is un-lady to like to sneak upon people," the man stated as he started swimming towards her.

Snow stared at him silently as he got closer. She examined him with curiosity, but the fear in her grew stronger.

He attacked her with questions as he neared her, "Who are you? Are you with company? By yourself?"

His voice was so deep. Snow never heard anything like it. Nor had she smelled or even seen anything like him. All her senses were overloaded that they shocked her into silence.

She simply stood there utterly dumfounded as he neared the edge of the spring.

"Girl, either turn around or throw me my trousers," he yelled.

Again, the man did not get a reply from Snow.

She roamed her eyes over his chest. He was hard, there was no softness to him, and his torso beared a few scars.

Her mind wandered… battle wounds. From war. From killing.

He stood there waiting on her to take one of his orders.

"What are you? Deaf? Dumb? Both?" He sounded agitated and she only knew that because her grandmother used a similar tone except it wasn't brash.

Snow did not reply to the man.

Tired of waiting the man stepped out of the water, not caring anymore if he was going to expose himself to her.

She continued to look him up and down; only a little aware that maybe she shouldn't be studying him so thoroughly.

He noticed what she was doing and as he was getting dressed, he noticed the state of her undress.

"Don't you have any prudence, girl?" he asked as his eyes trailed over her white undergarments.

Snow looked down at herself and was confused. She did not understand the man for she was clothed.

"What is wrong with you?" The man yelled in frustration as he picked up his final two belongings, his axe and his knife.

Her eyes widened as they darted between his eyes and the axe he held in his hand.

The man finally understood what was the matter with Snow. He saw the fear in her eyes. He slowly raised his hands and stepped forward to calm her. There was no intent for him to harm her, but Snow didn't see it that way. She did not realize that he was surrendering and held his weapon in the same manner. Snow believed he was advancing towards her, ready to strike with his axe.

She dashed madly into the forest. Barefoot. Leaves crunched under her feet and stones threw her off balance. She looked back only to see the man was chasing her. Branches pulled at her hair and scratched at her arms and face. She didn't care about the pain it was a sign of life. From all that she read about his kind and what her grandmother had told her, she had to stay away from the man if she wanted to survive.

She knew better than to run back home. Instead, she went deeper into the heart of The Green Forest. There the trees doubled in number and size.

She heard the man yelling after her, but couldn't make out what he said. The sound of her feet pounding on the forest floor and heart pounding in her ears was all she focused on.

The deeper she ran into the forest, the thicker the trees became. A few more yards and it would be thick enough to lose the man with the axe. She turned around and couldn't see him anymore so she ducked behind a large tree trunk to catch her breath. She looked at her surroundings, wondering where she would go. Snow didn't know where she was. She didn't even know how to get back. Her only option was to go back the way she came from. The way the man came from. She decided to wait until she heard a twig snap. She held her breath in order to hear where it came form and heard his foots steps, but they echoed every.

"Girl, show yourself! I won't harm you!" he called out from behind her hiding place.

Snow knew better than to trust his words. She recalled what her Grandmother once told her; men have a disregard for the truth and lie through their teeth often to get what they want.

She pressed her back harder against the trunk of the tree, hoping she could sink into it and disappear.

"There you are," he practically laughed, but before he could get a hold of Snow, she skirted around the tree and carefully backed away from him.

He stood still as he raised his arms to show his hands. The axe wasn't there anymore. Snow noticed an odd expression on his face, but didn't understand it.

"Please, do not take another step," he pleaded.

A few more steps back and she would have enough distance between him to turn and run again, Snow told herself.

She took one more step backwards and the man charged at her.

It happened in a blink of an eye. Before she could turn to run, she realized there was no ground where she stepped. Her foot continued to fall from beneath her. She felt herself falling over an edge, and now instead of running from the man, her would be assailant. She was reaching for her possible savior, but it was too late. He couldn't catch her in time, and with piercing scream Snow White fell into a gully.


End file.
